Device for opening knuckles of car-couplings



(No Model.)

9 G. K. HAMFELDT. DEVIQE I'OR OPENING KNUGKLBSOF GAR COUPLINGS. No.599.900.

Patented Mar. 1, 1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE K. HAMFELDT, OF MENANDS, NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR OPENING KNUCKLES OF CAR-COUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,900, dated March 1,1898.

Application filed July 23, 1897. Serial No. {345,752. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE K. HAMFELDT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Menands, county of Albany, and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Device for Opening the Knuckles ofOar-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in car-couplers; and the object ofmy invention is to provide a device for opening the knuckle of a couplerwhen the coupling is broken, by the operation of which, immediately uponthe breaking of the coupling, the knuckle shall be forcibly andpositively opened to substantially its full extent. I attain this objectby means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a plan, partly in section, parts being broken away,showing knuckle open. Fig. 2 is a plan, partly in section, having partsbroken away, showing knuckle closed. Fig. 3 is a plan of the spring, andFig. 4 is a section along the line 1 1 on Fig. 1.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The knuckle A of a coupler is provided with a groove B, cast in the backpart of the lip a of the knuckle, within which groove one end 0 of ahinged spring S is placed. The other end D of said hinged spring restsagainst the wall E of the coupler-head, held in position preferably by apin or bolt F.

I usually construct the spring S in the form illustrated in Fig. 3. Thusone end D of the spring S is coiled with its adjacent layerssubstantially in contact witheach other, having three or four layerstogether, and then extending to a second coil 3, in whichthe layers arearranged substantially in contact with each other and three or fourdeep, preferably, and then extending to a third position C, where thespring is coiled, as at s and D, and then returned to a position beneaththe spring S, arranged in substantially the same manner ass, and thenreturned to beneath the coil D, and there coiled substantially as thecoil D, making three divisions, each consisting of a helically-coiledspring and together making what I term a hinged spring. When placed inposition, one end of the spring D is secured to the wall of thecoupler-head E, preferably by the pin F. The other end 0 is securedwithin the groove B within the lip a of the knuckle A. The ends 0 and Dof the spring being thus brought together, the tension of the springtends to force them apart and thus to open the knuckle. By arranging thespring in this manner a very considerable tension is obtained and theeffect of the spring is exerted on the knuckle throughout the extent ofthe movement of the knuckle.

I am awarethat springs have heretofore been employed for "the purpose ofreleasing the knuckle; but they have been so constructed, so far as Ihave been informed of them, that they fail to move the knuckle farenough to insure a complete disengagement of the same, and because ofthe fact of springs having heretofore been introduced for the purpose ofreleasing the knuckle I do not broadly claim the use of a spring forthat purpose, my claim being as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- 1. In a device for opening the knuckle of a car-coupler, a hingedspring composed of three divisions, each division coiled in the form ofa helix, one of said divisions secured to the coupler-head, the divisionat the opposite end of said spring secured to the lip of the knuckle, soarranged that the resiliency of the spring tends to separate and throwapart forcibly the lip from connection with the coupler-head,substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device for opening the knuckle of a car-coupler, a knuckle, arecessed seat in the lip of said knuckle adapted to receive a spring,ahinged spring composed of three divisions, each division coiled in theform of a helix, a pin or bolt arranged to secure one division of saidspring in the coupler-head, the opposite division of said spring securedin said recessed seat, substantially as described and for thepurpose setforth.

GEO. K. HAMFELDT.

